Colombia's Luis Díaz reacts after losing to Switzerland during a penalty shootout in the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Switzerland and Colombia in Vancouver, British Columbia, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

2026-07-30T18:21:36Z

BARRANQUILLA, Colombia (AP) — Luis Diaz experienced the “magic” of the FA Cup when he played for Liverpool. What he saw from his former teams in Colombia was something else altogether.

Diaz was on hand at Romelio Martínez Stadium to witness one of the most stunning domestic cup upsets in recent memory in Colombia.

Powerhouse club Junior was knocked out of the Copa Colombia by its own second-division affiliate, Barranquilla FC, which prevailed 5-3 in a penalty shootout Wednesday night.

Watching the drama unfold from the stands was Díaz, the 29-year-old Colombia star who plays at Bayern Munich. The former Liverpool forward launched his career with Barranquilla before earning promotion to Junior in 2017 and eventually making the leap to Europe with Porto.

“What happened is embarrassing,” said Yimmi Chará, one of Junior’s key players. “We knew they would make it difficult, but we failed to secure the result.”

Barranquilla will next face powerhouse Millonarios in the next round. Like in the FA Cup — in which lower-division teams get a chance to beat the big-name teams — there could be more surprises to come.

“These are lads we know well — some of them were even in our squad last year,” Junior coach Alfredo Arias said “If anyone had to eliminate us, I’m glad it was Barranquilla. I hope they go as far as possible.”

___ AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer